Transforming and transposing device for automatic instruments.



B. T. TREAHY. TRANSFORMING AND TRANSPOSING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICINSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.22, 1910. 1 ,01 8,791. v Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

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B. T. TREAHY. TRANSPORMING AND TRANSPOSING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATICINSTRUMENTS. 1 ,O 1 8,79 1' APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22, 1910.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BARTHOLOMEW T. TREAI-IY, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TRANSFORMING AND TRANSPOSING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC INSTRUMENTS.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BARTHOLOMEW T. TREAHY, a subject of the King ofGreat Britain, residing at Detroit, in'the county of \Vayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTransforming and Transposing Devices for Automatic Instruments, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic musical instruments, such forexample as automatic piano players operated by pneumatic means.

An object of the invention is to provide improved means for transposing,that is for varying the key in which the music is played.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means foradjusting the instrument to accommodate the same to note sheets ofdifferent kinds, as for a sixty-five or an eighty-eight note sheet. Theinvent-ion serves these two functions, that is transposing with respectto key and adjusting with respect to note sheet, in a single mechanism,which may be manipulated to effect either or both of said purposes.

The transposing devices are applicable to an instrument using only onekind of a note sheet; and the adjusting devices are applicable where notransposition is desired.

As illustrated, the tracker is shown provided with two sets of holes,suitable respectively for sixty-five or eighty-eight note sheets, andducts lead from each set of holes to the transposing and adjustingdevices, which devices are located between the tracker board and theprimary pneumatics, and include members which can be shifted lengthwise,or across the instrument to transpose, or laterally back and forth tocon nect or disconnect the respective ducts of the two sets of holes inthe tracker.

The devices may be used upon instruments where two different trackersare used or where there are two sets of holes of a different size andspacing in the tracker, and either tracker or set of tracker ducts canbe made to register with the passages to the primary pneumaticsaccording to the different kinds of note sheets used.

The invention will be more fully under- Speeification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 22, 1910.

Patented Feb. 27, 1912.

Serial No. 539,531.

stood from the following description and the accompanying drawings inwhich- Figure 1 is a front view of the tracker and spool box. Fig. 2 isa left end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device,removed. Fig. 4 is a section on the line l4: of Fig. 3.

Referring specifically-to the drawings, 6 indicates the frame of thespool box, 7 the spool therein, 7 the note sheet roll, and 8 thetracker. This is shown as provided with two sets of holes, 9 and 10, theformer being suitable for a sixty-five note sheet and the latter for aneighty-eight note sheet. Obviously this may be varied according to thenote sheet used, or substitute trackers may be employed for differentnote sheets. The ducts 65 lead from the holes 9, and the ducts 88 leadfrom the holes 10, these ducts being flexible.

Each set of ducts leads to a corresponding set of ports 11 and 12 in aslidable plate or bar 13 which is made-in sections, and which as a wholeconstitute a shiftable plate or valve bar by movement of Which thetransposition and adjustment are effected. The bar is made in blocks orsections to insure a close fit and provide against objectionable resultsof possible warping. Each block is connected to ametal bar 14 by meansof pins 15 which work through holes in the bar at a nice fit, and spring16*, between the bar and blocks, press the latter to close contact withthe cooperating bottom plate 16 which is provided with openings tooperating or action ducts 17 which lead to the primary pneumatics (notshown). The bottom plate 16 constitutes part of a box or casing which iscompleted by side strips 18.

The metal bar 14 is connected at each end the bar 14 and the sectionalplate 13 in two directions, that is, both lengthwise and transversely.

The rear ends of the cross pieces 19 are articulated to a shifting andturning rod or rock shaft 22 by means of arms 28 project ing from saidrod through enlarged holes 24- in the cross pieces 19. Said rod 22 haslongitudinal and turning movement in brackets 25 fastened to the box.The rod 22 is turned by means of a lever 26 which is connected by a link27 to a bent lever 28 which is fulcrumed at 29 on the side 6 of thespool box, the front end of the bent lever projecting into convenientposition for manipulation by the operator.

The rod 22 is shifted lengthwise by means of a lever 80 fulcrumed at 31on a suitable bracket at the end of the box, and having a fork at 32which engages in a groove 83 in the shifting rod. The lever 80 may beoperated by any suitable connection to a button 34 at the front of theinstrument. Transposition is effected by shifting the lever 30 and therod 22, the latter moving lengthwise. Adjustment with respect to notesheet is effected by turning the rod 22 by operation of the lever 26 bythe means described.

In Fig. 2 the device is shown with connection established to theeighty-eight note sheet tracker. By swinging the lever 26 backwardly therock shaft 22 will, by means of the arms 23 connected to the pieces 24,carry the bar 14C and the blocks 18 rearwardly to register the passages11 with the passages 17 leading to the primary pneumatics, therebyestablishing communication between the holes 9 for the sixty-five notesheet and the operative mechanism. By shifting the lever 26 forwardlythe rod 22 is turned and the communication is established between theducts 17 and the eighty-eight note sheet holes. For transportation, thelever 30 is shifted, causing lengthwise movement of the rod 22 andconsequently of the sectional plate 13, this section being permitted bythe flexibility of the tubes 88 and 65. Accordingly the ducts 11 (or 12)are registered with ducts 17 corresponding to the extent of longitudinalmovement of the plate 18. In order to permit these actions in a minimumof space the mouths of the ducts 11 and 12 may be enlarged or cupped, asshown at 50, so that the connection may be effected by relatively smallmovement. The cupping can only be made transversely or to accommodatethe adjusting movement. To position the sliding rod 22 as it is shiftedone way or the other, it is provided with a series of notches 51, thedistance apart of which corresponds with the distance between the ducts17, and the flat spring 52 will snap into these notches in the differentadjustments. The amount of transposition is controlled by the movementof the lever 30, and half a tone up or down will ordinarily besufficient, although the movement may be increased if desired. Obviouslythe arrangement and connection of the levers may be varied to operatethe parts in a different way, and various other modifications may bemade within the scope of the invention. hen the blocks 18 are shifted toeither position, the unused ducts therein are covered or disconnectedfrom the operative devices of the action.

What I claim as new is 1. The combination of a relatively fixed set ofaction ducts, a relatively fixed tracker having two sets of holes, a setof flexible ducts connected to each set of holes, and a valve attachedto said sets of flexible ducts and movable in one direction to registereither set of flexible ducts with the action ducts, and movable inanother direction to change the registration of the ducts of theselected set of flexible ducts with those of the action set.

2. The combination of a set of action ducts, a plurality of sets oftracker ducts, and a valve with sets of ducts corresponding to the setsof tracker ducts and arranged to register with the action ducts, saidvalve being movable in one direction to connect the action duets with aselected set of tracker ducts, and in another direction to vary fortransportation the connection between the ducts of the action set andthose of the selected set of tracker ducts.

8. The combination of a set of action ducts, a plurality of sets oftracker ducts, and a valve between said sets, comprising a sliding barwith sets of ducts connected respectively to the sets of tracker ductsand arranged to be registered respectively with the action ducts, saidbar being slidable in one direction to connect the action ducts with aselected set of tracker ducts, and slidable in another direction to varyfor transposition the connection between the action ducts and those ofthe selected set of tracker ducts.

4:. The combination of a plate having therein the terminals of a set ofducts, a tracker, and a valve bar resting against said plate and havingtherein rows of terminals of a plurality of sets of ducts leading to thetracker, the said bar being movable sidewise on the plate to registerthe terminals of either of said sets of ducts with the terminals in theplate, and lengthwise to vary for transposition the registration of theterminals of the selected set with the terminals in the plate.

5. The combination of a plate having duct terminals therein, a bar, aseries of blocks carried by the bar and having duct terminals thereinarranged to register with said terminals, and resting against the plate,springs in compression between the bar and and means to shift the valve,including a 10 longitudinally movable rock shaft connected to the valve.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnessesBARTHOLOMEW T. TREAHY. WVitnesses:

W. B. WHITELY, FRANK HOUP.

said blocks, to press the latter against the plate, and means to shiftthe bar and blocks to vary the registration of the terminals.

6. The combination of a plate having duct 5 terminals therein, a slidevalve movable laterally and longitudinally and resting against saidplate and having a plurality of rows of duct terminals arranged to be respectively registered with said terminals,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

